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Uveitis questions and MCQs for ophthalmology residents

Uveitis and ocular inflammation covers anterior, intermediate, posterior and panuveitis; episcleritis and scleritis; infectious causes such as toxoplasmosis, syphilis, tuberculosis and herpetic retinitis; noninfectious systemic associations; the white dot syndromes; masquerade syndromes; and the principles of corticosteroid and immunomodulatory therapy. It maps to BCSC Section 9, Uveitis and Ocular Inflammation.

Boards emphasize anatomic classification using SUN terminology, recognition of characteristic clinical patterns, a targeted rather than indiscriminate workup, and knowing when to exclude infection or lymphoma before escalating immunosuppression. Many questions pair an ocular finding with a systemic clue, such as oral ulcers, inflammatory back pain, hilar lymphadenopathy or vitiligo and poliosis, and ask for the diagnosis or the single most useful investigation.

Practice questions work best here when you build a consistent algorithm: locate the inflammation, decide whether it is granulomatous or nongranulomatous, unilateral or bilateral, acute or chronic, then narrow the differential. Review each explanation for the reasoning path rather than the answer alone, and use weak-topic drills to revisit the white dot syndromes until each one is distinct on history, imaging and fundus appearance.

Free uveitis practice questions

Uveitis questions are in the OphthoMentor app: create a free account to practise them with explanations, flowcharts and spaced-repetition review.

High-yield uveitis topics for boards

  • SUN anatomic classification: anterior, intermediate, posterior and panuveitis
  • Granulomatous versus nongranulomatous uveitis: mutton-fat keratic precipitates, iris nodules
  • HLA-B27 anterior uveitis: acute, unilateral, alternating, fibrin, hypopyon, spondyloarthropathy
  • Juvenile idiopathic arthritis uveitis: asymptomatic, ANA-positive oligoarthritis, screening, band keratopathy
  • Fuchs uveitis syndrome: stellate keratic precipitates, heterochromia, cataract, glaucoma
  • Posner-Schlossman syndrome: recurrent unilateral mild iritis, marked IOP rise, CMV association
  • Sarcoidosis: granulomatous uveitis, candle-wax drippings, chest imaging
  • Behçet disease: occlusive retinal vasculitis, shifting hypopyon, oral and genital ulcers
  • Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease: exudative detachments, sunset glow fundus, integumentary signs
  • Sympathetic ophthalmia: penetrating injury, bilateral granulomatous panuveitis, Dalen-Fuchs nodules
  • Ocular toxoplasmosis: retinochoroiditis adjacent to a pigmented scar, vitritis
  • Acute retinal necrosis versus progressive outer retinal necrosis: immune status
  • CMV retinitis: hemorrhagic and granular patterns, minimal vitritis, immunocompromised host
  • Ocular syphilis: placoid chorioretinitis, serologic testing, treatment as neurosyphilis
  • Tuberculous uveitis: serpiginous-like choroiditis, broad posterior synechiae, interferon-gamma release assays
  • Birdshot chorioretinopathy: HLA-A29 association, cream-colored choroidal lesions
  • White dot syndromes: MEWDS, APMPPE, serpiginous choroiditis, punctate inner choroidopathy
  • Intermediate uveitis: snowballs, snowbanking, MS association; pars planitis when idiopathic
  • Masquerade syndromes: primary vitreoretinal lymphoma presenting as vitritis in older adults
  • Scleritis versus episcleritis: phenylephrine blanching, necrotizing disease, systemic vasculitis

How uveitis is examined

Uveitis and ocular inflammation (BCSC Section 9) appears on the OKAP and ABO written exams largely as integrated vignettes: an anatomic pattern plus a systemic clue, followed by a question on diagnosis, the most appropriate investigation or first-line management. Questions frequently cross into retina (white dot syndromes, retinitis), cornea (herpetic keratouveitis, band keratopathy) and glaucoma (uveitic and steroid-induced pressure rise).

EBOD and FRCOphth papers test the same core diseases, with attention to infections that must not be missed, systemic associations and the safe use of corticosteroids and steroid-sparing therapy. In oral examinations, uveitis is a common vehicle for structured reasoning: examiners expect a classification, a focused differential, a rational workup and a clear rationale for excluding infection before escalating immunosuppression.